Communicating risk for action and engagement

of communities in DRM policy makingIainStewart

LisaRobinson

‘There has to be a broader and a more people-centred preventive approach to disaster risk.

Disaster risk reduction practices need to be multi-hazard and multi-sectoral, inclusive and accessible in

order to be efficient and effective.’

The DRR Communication Challenge

Low

Low

information

High

High

engagement

education

listening

MEDIUMRISK

LOW RISK

HIGH RISK

Concerned

Affected

• Normal communication rules / practices don’t often apply in risk communication scenarios

The Risk Communication Landscape

Risk Communication Audiences Science / Policy often meets the public in times of crisis

L’Aquila (Italy) 2009

Myth #1: Information leads to action

People most trust those whose values mirror their own

People seek affirmation of their values / beliefs and will reject any information that are counter to them

When information is complex, people make decisions based on their values and beliefs, not facts

Opinions that are not formed by logic or facts are not influenced by logical or factual arguments

Time poor

Too much data

Uncertainty

Fear / Emotion

4

1

2

3Cognitve biases /

heuristics

the socio-ecological risk context

Action #1: put the data away

Public concerns about risk controversies are almost never about

the science – so scientific information

does little to influence those concerns

creates more problems than it solves

1 2 3 4 5

D CD BA

too fast a pace to keep up with

1 2 3 4 5

D C BA

people shouldn’t tamper with nature

1 2 3 4 5

DCBA

children must be protected at all time

1 2 3 4 5

DC BA

very important for Society’s problems

1 2 3 4 5

C D B A

Interest in science

1 2 3 4 5

D C B A

concerned

&

disengaged

the

risk

averse

the

cautiously

keen

the

science

fans

Myth # 2: ‘The public’,‘the community’

Action #2: know your audience

People and their environments are complex, therefore invest in understanding them to make impact

Go beyond demographics into psychographics, the socio-political-economic context, and the media landscape.

Myth #3: Use technology / create a clever product or tool

Don’t create a communication product with no solid plan for change

Communication is not a product, it’s a process

Radio programme in Nepal inspired

young women to retrain as masons Action #3: have a plan to

reach engage

entertain motivate

Myth #4: Communication is a one-way process

o Foster conversation at 2 levels:

o 1) Amongst people at risk – Prompt informed conversations within families

and communities to generate problem-solving and motivate action

o 2) Between general public and decision-makers – Prompt informed

conversations that influence risk governance and develop trust

Action #4: start having risk conversations

If you’re not actively providing information through trusted sources, someone else will – and you may not like what they’re saying.

Myth #5: Communications should be technical, not emotional

The public don’t care what you know…

empatheticrisk communication

they want to know that you care !

Trust, Equity and Control issues underlie most risk controversies

Action #5: ?

What specific challenges do scientists / policy makers face in DRR communication?

• Communicating uncertainties (to all, political representatives and the public)

• Dealing with low frequency/high impact threats

• How to sensitize the public opinion on something that is not perceived as a risk.

• How to engage the political level for them to invest in it.

• Long-term thinking: in policy making the expected results are often to be seen in the long term, which is difficult to communicate and to motivate for.

• Dealing with journalists / news media

Key Communication Challenges

Challenges shared by scientists and policy makers are:

Putting it

together

The TV

interview

Communicating risk for action and engagement

of communities in DRM policy makingIainStewart

LisaRobinson